The Emperor Mage by Tamora Pierce

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Title: The Emperor MageAuthor: Tamora PierceSeries: The Immortals Quartet #3, Tortall #16Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)My Bookshelves:Animagus, Easy reading, Medieval fantasyPace: MediumFormat: Short storyPublisher: ScholasticYear: 19945th sentence, 74th page: Daine, feeling cross, realised immediately she had arranged things so no one would be able to distract Numair from Varice herself.

Emperor Ozorne ripped open the gates between realms, releasing a plague of immortals to savage Tortall. Now he talks of making amends and, for her kingdom’s sake, Daine must attend the peace conference – somehow keeping her magic in check. But one of the gods has chosen Daine as the bringer of retribution. With a gift given by the Graveyard Hag, Daine intends to create havoc in Carthak. Her magic is wild and unpredictable, and Daine is very, very angry.

The politics of war perplex me, for example, you’re not technically at war until both sides admit that you are – at least, that’s one of the main things that I learnt from The Emperor Mage. That, and you really shouldn’t piss off someone with power. Or underestimate them for that matter.

Ozorne is an excellent villain throughout this series, although, it isn’t until The Emperor Mage that we get to know him more intimately. His self-centred tendencies lead him to make horrible decision after horrible decision, eventually leading him into the wrath of the gods. But, it is his inability to recognise and realise his flaws that truly make him a force with whom Daine must constantly battle. Although at the beginning of the story, he shows a very nice and misunderstood public face, the gradual degradation of this reminds us that not is all as it seems. And, that even as an adult, if you’re too spoilt, you can become your own demise.

Of all of the animals and characters that Daine experiences throughout her journeys in The Immortals Quartet, it is the hyenas that I love the most. Probably because I am inherently fascinated by them in real life – how can you not be drawn in by such unique creatures? Their pivotal role in the story was stunningly executed, and the removal of some of the stigma that often surrounds the hyena. Although, Pierce also attempts to do this with bats and wolves throughout the story. A reminder that unlike humans, animals do everything for a reason.